How to Help Central Texas Flood Victims

Organizations throughout Central Texas are looking for money, for donations of goods and for volunteers to help with flood relief efforts.

The city of Wimberley opened a hotline both for volunteers and for residents in need – that number is 512-754-2275. They also have a facebook page here, where they're updating information about what they need.

Update Friday May 29, 10:15 a.m. There is a Multi-Agency Resource Center going on in Wimberley today (Friday) and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Wimberley Community Center, 14068 Ranch Rd 12 in Wimberley. Those affected by the recent flooding are encouraged to go, as multiple agencies are there to assist. The Hays County Food Bank is distributing an emergency food box, water and bread to those who need it.

In San Marcos, there will be a Multi-Agency Resource Center Sunday and Monday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at St. John's Catholic Church, 624 E. Hopkins in San Marcos.

Ridesharing company Uber announced via press release that they're reaching out to Hays County flood victims by making drivers available to pick up Austinites' food donations — bagged or boxed non-perishable items — and shuttle them to food banks. This takes place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and it's free. You'll be able to request the donation pickup through the Uber app. They are also providing free rides next week for flood victims. More details on that are available here.

You can also bring food donations to the Barton Creek Farmer's Market Saturday between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. If you're donating non-perishable items, you can drop those off anytime Saturday after 9 a.m. at Barton Creek Square Mall. All the donations will be taken via refrigerated truck to the Hays County Food Bank.

Update Thursday May 28, 10:45 a.m.

Volunteering: Those who want to volunteer with the Hays County flood and disaster recovery in San Marcos should register with the Volunteer Resource Center at the Old Fish Hatchery, San Marcos Plaza Park, 206 C.M. Allen Parkway.

Call 512-753-2320 for more information about volunteering. City, County and AmeriCorps are coordinating volunteers and organizations. Volunteer organizations, as well as individuals and companies wishing to help and donate specialized equipment, should email information to hayscoflood@co.hays.tx.us.

Donating: The Hays County Donation receiving site is located at the Donation Center, 200 Springtown Way, Suite 150, San Marcos 78666. It’s open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Supplies should be brought to the rear loading dock. This location is only accepting new supplies only at this time. To donate, go to the loading dock at the back of the building, and do not unload until you speak to an attendant on duty.

Flood victims may pick up supplies from the front of the Donation Center on Springtown Way. In Wimberley, residents may get supplies at Wimberley High School, 100 Carney, Wimberley.

Please do not bring donations to Wimberley High School. All donations for Hays County flood victims should be brought to the Donation Center, 200 Springtown Way, Suite 150, in San Marcos.

The Austin Disaster Relief Network, a network of churches in the Greater Austin area, has established a warehouse, functioning as a drop-off site only, located at 1905 S Capitol Texas Highway, Austin Texas 78746. The warehouse is open today to receive donations from the community. Hours of operation will be Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. In-kind donations needed are as follows: duct tape, tarps (20x10 and 10x10), gently used business clothing for men and women, new women’s bras, new underwear (men/women/children), new socks (men/women/children), hygiene products (tampons, diapers, shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste/toothbrushes, soap, wipes, deodorant, etc), purses, sponges, 3M face masks (N97), brooms, leather work gloves, mosquito spray, first aid kits, new blankets and new wrapped pillows. Volunteers are greatly needed to help assist in receiving donations and assisting families. To volunteer, go to this site and follow the instructions to sign up as a Warehouse Volunteer.

The United Way is also providing assistance to flood victims. To give online, visit United Way’s website or text FLOODS to 41444 for a $10 donation.

Catholic Charities is asking for donations to support immediate and long-term recovery needs for victims across their service region. The biggest need is for monetary donations, which can be given by calling 512-651-6126 or visiting the webpage here. One hundred percent of all disaster donations go directly to the families.

Those affected by the flood who are seeking legal help should be aware of the following:

The State Bar of Texas has established a legal hotline at 800-504-7030 to help people find answers to basic legal questions and connect them with local legal aid providers following the recent flooding. The hotline, answered in English and Spanish, is intended to help low-income persons affected by the disaster. Residents can call and leave a message at any time. People who qualify for assistance will be matched with Texas lawyers who have volunteered to provide free, limited legal help. For additional resources, visit www.texaslawhelp.org.

TRLA’s Disaster Assistance Hotline is also available to offer assistance to flood victims at 866-757-1570. The hotline is staffed Monday through Friday and features a voicemail system that allows callers to leave their information to receive a call back from a TRLA staff member as soon as possible. Additional resources for homeowners can be found at www.trla.org/centexfloods.

Members of the Austin Bar Association are also working to organize relief efforts. If you are an attorney or paralegal who would like to volunteer with a legal hotline or to help at a free legal clinic in Hays, Bastrop or Caldwell counties, please contact Amy Welborn, awelborn@chmc-law.com More details about volunteer opportunities will be available soon.

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The community in Wimberley is finding some sort of normalcy after record flooding over the weekend. Seven homes there were destroyed, and 1,400 were damaged. But even before the waters had receded, community members started looking for ways to help their neighbors.

A steady flow of customers came into Brookshire Brothers, Wimberley's local supermarket, on Tuesday. Customers were buying extra water and groceries that supermarket employees would then pack up for neighbors in need. A sign-up sheet by the door encouraged residents to write down how they could help others. Some people offered their cars; others, their cell phones.

Storms swept through the Austin area Monday afternoon, causing businesses and roadways to flood. The National Weather Service says Austin should expect more rain and thunderstorms this week, with chances as high as 50 percent on Friday.

Storms across the state resulted in a total of seven dead in Texas, including one in San Marcos, one in Wimberley, one in Cameron, one in San Antonio and three more in Houston. At least 30 people are still unaccounted for in Hays County.

11:15 a.m. The North Austin Red Cross shelter housed five people last night, and the South Austin shelter housed two. The shelters in San Marcos housed 80 overnight. Updated Red Cross shelter information for those in need Tuesday:

Check out the website for an updated list of our open shelters http://t.co/8utBzRQKYz If anyone needs assistance, call 1-877-500-8645. #txwx

Texas Governor Greg Abbott took a helicopter tour of the areas devastated by weekend floods yesterday, which culminated in a disaster declaration in 24 counties in Texas. Hundreds of families in Wimberley lost everything, and more than 1,000 were in shelters Monday night. Two are confirmed dead in Hays County.

Update 3:30 p.m. Earlier today, 30 were still unaccounted for in the county, but sources are starting to report that most of those have been contacted. Thirteen are supposedly still missing.

Update 1:15 p.m. In a press conference in Wimberley this afternoon, Hays County officials said that there are still 30 people unaccounted for in the wake of the weekend's storms. Hays County Commissioner called the storm a "tsunami." President Obama declared Texas an official disaster area, which opens the door to the state receiving federal funding for recovery.

Original story: Still, after a record flood of the Blanco River, more rain is expected to fall throughout the week as those in the town continue rescue and clean-up efforts.

But, yesterday, one family celebrated Memorial Day as they always do – together – in spite of the floods that ravaged their home.